Fujifilm's 2009 budget compact — 12.2MP CCD, 3x zoom and a 3.0-inch LCD atop the J30-generation body
The FinePix J37 was part of Fujifilm's 2009 budget J-series family that also included the J27, J28, J29, J30, J32 and J38 — all covered by a single owner's manual. Within that group the J37 was the variant fitted with a larger 3.0-inch rear screen, where its 12-megapixel siblings such as the J30 used a 2.7-inch panel.
It pairs a 12.2-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD producing 4000x3000-pixel images with a Fujinon 3x optical zoom. The 3.0-inch LCD has 230,000 dots, sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 3200, and video tops out at 640x480 at 30fps. There is no optical image stabilisation. Storage is SD/SDHC, power is the NP-45 lithium-ion battery, and the slim body weighs just 113g at 92 x 55.9 x 20mm.
Like the rest of the family it is a fully automatic snapshot camera; the bigger screen makes composing and reviewing slightly nicer at the cost of nothing else changing. It suits buyers after a cheap, very slim CCD compact, with the usual caveats of noisy high ISO and flash-dependent indoor shooting.
Used examples are inexpensive, so prioritise condition: confirm the NP-45 battery charges and a charger or USB lead is present, check the larger screen carefully for pressure marks, and cycle the lens and flash. SD/SDHC cards keep it usable without adapters. Note listings frequently mix up J-series model numbers, so match the label on the body.